Semper Fidelis
by Gift of the Dragons
Summary: The apocalypse through anonymous eyes... When Pokémon moves from a game to reality, the creatures loved by fans begin to attack civilization, forcing the government to take steps to defeat the creatures. When weapons fail to do harm, they begin to experiment with the classics: partnering their soldiers with newly hatched Pokémon... Full summary inside.
1. Part I: The Invasion

Summary: The apocalypse through anonymous eyes... When Pokémon moves from a game to reality, the creatures loved by fans begin to attack civilization, forcing the government to take steps to defeat the creatures. When weapons fail to do harm, they begin to experiment with the classics: partnering their soldiers with newly hatched Pokémon. An AU take on the Call of Duty world and the classic Pokémon journey.

Disclaimer: I do not own Call of Duty or any of the Pokémon games, toys, television episodes, etc., a plasma screen, Diamondback, or Combos snacks. I do own my various OCs, however.

Author's Note: I could have made this better, but as a rule I don't use swears or similar slang. There's not much I can do here, sorry. This goes only as far as my picture, which was done by the amazing MeAndMyRobot on Deviant Art. I don't own that either.

Part I: The Invasion

**June 5th, 1500 hours**

**168 Hours Left**

"Lieutenant, get over there," the captain ordered.

"Sir." I scrambled to get to my team. I saw the private and corporal both give the captain backwards glance before turning their attention to their CO, which happened to be me.

"So," the private said. His dog tags said 'Pvt. Higgs.'

"So?" I answered. I started walking down to the shooting range, the two others following. I wanted to take out a full clip on my Smith & Wesson on one of the targets.

"So what happened? What'd they say was going on?"

"I can't tell you."

"Aw." Higgs looked over at the specialist. "Hey, Matt, get him to talk," he prodded.

Matt ignored him and instead asked "Well, can you at least tell us why you can't tell us?"

"It's classified."

"So, is the thing that's going on classified, or is the reason you can't tell us classified?" Higgs asked slowly.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "You confused me there. The thing I was called to; that stuff is classified, and I can't tell you because that stuff is _classified_."

Matt and Higgs were silent for a few moments. "You're still going to tell us, right?" Higgs asked.

I only grinned in reply.

**June 5th, 1300 hours (2 hours earlier) *Exactly 7 days left***

**170 Hours Left**

"Lieutenant," the general said.

"Sir." I saluted him before moving to take a seat.

I gave him a grin as I sat down and he rolled his eyes, muttering something about smart-mouthed cadets. The table was one of those rectangular ones, with a gray hard top and black plastic around the sides. The chairs were swivel types, with a hard plastic back but with a velvety-soft lining. I leaned back and spun the chair. I could get used to this.

"Lieutenant!" the general barked.

I shot out of my seat, saying "Sir?"

"You've been called here for a reason. Get back in your seat and pay attention."

I sat back down in my seat and put my poker face on. I clasped my hands together and leaned forward slightly, giving the impression of a lawyer or an officer making a deal with a criminal. I knew my change in demeanor could startle some people, but the general was used to it. He ignored me and sat in his own seat, waiting for the other guests to arrive. Why I was here, I had no idea; I as just a lieutenant, and I could tell, even then, that they should have called a higher ranking soldier.

Several other people came in and sat do. Most of them appeared to be the high office types, with their suits and ties. None of them, I noticed, were wearing dog tags or any insignia to determine their work or history. They were like blank sheets of paper, as far as appearances went. None of them, with the exception of the general and one of the suits and ties, held themselves like soldiers. They were proud, or at the very least pompous, but not honorable, the special way a soldier was. The woman was wearing a suit jacket and skirt, both a wooly gray. Under the suit was a red vest that complimented her dark hair and eyes. She had a glasses case in the breast pocket of her suit. Most likely reading glasses, as she didn't have any on her face. Her hair was tied into a braid with what looked like a metal weight. I frowned at that but said nothing.

While I had been inspecting the visitors, the general stood and greeted the guests. They appeared to be Chief of Staff and such, working for the President. I frowned; those types _should _have been wearing insignia, not unless they wanted to keep this sort of thing low-key. They weren't doing a good job, with the fancy clothes. Then I thought '_Why was I needed? I was just another soldier in another regiment,'_ (17th Infantry, to be exact.)

The general must have seen the confusion on my face, and the anxiety it was creating. He shook his head and I relaxed. Whatever I as needed for would be addressed soon. Hopefully.

"We should get to the point," the woman said.

She kept herself in a slightly wary position, as though ready for fight or flight. _She's been a soldier, has had a really horrible childhood, or has been a politician for too long,_ I thought. I decided it was the first or last, as she had no visible scarring. Not all scars were visible, I knew that all too well, but it seemed unlikely.

"And what is that point?" one of the staff said. He was rather average. Everything about him was simple, unrefined. His suit was a dark blue, almost black; the suit was buttoned just below his ribcage, showing a white shirt underneath. "Why have we been called here?"

"There have been strange occurrences: cities being destroyed, forests devastated, tsunamis and hurricanes, as well as large-scale blackouts," the general barked. The staff was cowed by his outburst, so the general continued. "The impossible has become possible these past few days. These 'attacks' have only occurred in Asia, but have been moving steadily westward. With the speed that the destruction has been moving at, it has been estimated that we have one week until the United States is hit." The general put up a finger and reiterated "One week."

"But…" the staff apparently hadn't been cowed, but was now after the glares sent to him by his peers. He seemed to shrink in his seat and mumbled an apology before quieting.

The woman nodded to herself before continuing with the general. "The source of these disasters appears to be these creatures."

She pulled out a TV remote and pressed a button on it. A TV, a 96" plasma screen, came sliding down from the ceiling. Another push of a button and it turned on, showing the first slide of a slideshow. I leaned forward for a better look at the picture. The bird was fairly reminiscent to a phoenix, with the feathers and all. The picture was taken from the ground, and dwarfed the building it had perched itself on. The bird itself wasn't large in terms of height, but appeared to be larger, with its impressive wing span, giving it the appearance of a larger creature. Its maw was open, letting out a shrill cry, wings outstretched. It looked like an act of war.

The picture changed to another bird, not nearly as large as the first, but still big enough to loom over most humans. The bird appeared to be attacking a food stand; there were cabbages scattered around its feet and in the stand. The bird's feathers stood out like spikes, giving it the appearance of being shocked by lightning. The bird's underside was all highlighter yellow, and what could be seen of its back was black. Its face was rather fierce; the eyes ringed by black, the beak long and sharp. Feathers encrusted its head like a lion's mane, standing out in all directions. The legs were the odd part; they looked like a turkey's legs, thin and gangly, the leg plumes gray rather than yellow. It had orange scales and three, no, four toes, each ending in a sharp nail. Three toes pointed outwards, while one pointed back, so they created something like a cross of an I and a Y.

The picture changed once more, to a yellow bird, more than a foot larger than the first. Several people tittered in disbelief; the bird had a plume of flame on its head and two more coming form the mantles of its wings, and a last one forming the tail. The fires, in fact, made up most of the bird's wings, and streaked behind it as it soared in the air. The picture was taken from below, giving a good shot of its underside. The beak was shorter and smaller than the yellow bird, the yellow feathers more subdued than the bird before it. The leg plumes were also yellow, and the leg scales were a dark tan, the legs and especially the feet were smaller than its bright companion. It resembled a plane in posture and bearing.

The scene switched once more and all tittering stopped. This bird was shorter than the fiery one, but taller than the shocking one. It was sitting on a light post, wings bared. The wings were somewhat rectangular in shape, except where the wing joints bent before connecting with the shoulders. The bird's plumage was a sky blue, the chest a powder blue. The tail, which was long and thin like a ribbon, was cyan, as was its head crest, which was made of three diamonds, extending from the middle of its forehead. The beak was smaller than its predecessors' and grey in color, the scales of its legs. All in all, it looked like a rather large blue jay. But the most amazing thing was that there was snow swirling around it, as though it had created it.

The TV clicked as the pictures changed. This time, a great beast was sleeping on a beach. The photo was taken from a distance, highlighting its great size. It was greater in size than the first phoenix that was shown. The body was a silvery-white, with navy-colored spikes protruding from its back, and two more from its tail. Eye crests, also navy in color, covered its eye and shot upwards. Its underbelly was a light blue, contrasting with its body. The feet were large, with three toes, but small compared to its wings. They were rather hand like, with five digits on the wing. Judging from the way they were curled, they could be used like fingers or a thumb, depending on the placement. The mouth was somewhat jagged, with teeth on the lower jaw, which stuck out past the bird's lips.

The creatures looked familiar, but I was having trouble placing where I had seen them before. From a show, or a game, perhaps. I frowned at my inability to remember. I licked my lips and coughed. Everyone looked at me, expecting an answer. My lip twitched at the attention.

"They look familiar," I admitted. "But I don't remember where I've seen them."

The woman nodded again and showed another picture. "This look familiar? Or this?"

The next picture showed a large dragon, primarily green. It was rather snake like, with two small arms and no wings. The head was also snake like, but with four fins coming from its head, behind the jaw. Two larger ones shot up from the top, two small ones from the bottom. Its lips were red, as well as its teeth, giving it the appearance of drinking blood. The dragon's irises were yellow rings in pools of black, as its sclera was black as its pupils. A yellow circle stood out on top of its head, which split into two lines that went down to the next segment of its body. A chest plate of sorts was visible, marked by a black Y, the arms connected to its shoulders. The lines continued around the joints, creating a half circle, moving up, back to the head before circling around the and connecting with the other line, and down, where it would complete a circle, marking the off the body segment. Two fins came out of the back, diagonal to each arm. The outer edge of the fin was red like the beast's lips. Two yellow lines continued the body on each side, forming two yellow ovals before coming to the next body segment. Rather than having more appendages, the segment was adorned with four fins, similar in appearance to the first two. Two of the fins were adjacent to each other, and were diagonal to another, creating an X shape if one looked through its body. The body continued like this twice more before tapering off to a tail, pointed and adorned with four smaller fins which tapered off with the tail.

The second creature was the first humanoid one in appearance, with gray-purple skin. Its head was rather human in shape, with the exception of two bony ridges that stuck out at the top like a cat's ears, and the mouth, which was somewhat muzzle shaped. Its mouth wand jaw were rather small, the nose two slits on the muzzle. The creature had what appeared to be two necks; one attached directly to the shoulders, while one looped backwards and connected to the back, presumably between the shoulder blades. It had a small chest plate and a rather feminine body, with long slender arms that ended in three-fingered hands. The fingers themselves were circular and short, giving the appearance of nodes. One of the fingers on each hand was opposable, so they were likely thumbs. The torso was also rather slim, but the legs were thick, due to the tail that came up from between the legs. The legs were also thin, especially near the feet, which had two small toes that ended in nodes. A third toe on each foot was opposable, but two short for any use. The tail was rather thick, a dark purple, looking somewhat whip-like. It thinned out then thickened at the end, looking rather dangerous, like the Chimera's tail.

The appearance of the last creature made the memories click. I knew where I had seen them from.

"Go back, back to the first one," I ordered. The screens flickered as it responded to the remote's command. "That's a Ho-Oh," I said. Some of the staff started muttering. "And that's Zapdos, and Moltres. And that one is Articuno," I told them, as each one came up on the screen. "The silver one is Lugia, the dragon Rayquaza and the human-like one is Mewtwo." I frowned. Pokémon didn't exist. "But they're all from a game. They don't actually exist."

The general, who had been quiet from his last outburst, leaned forward. "That's where you're wrong, soldier." The room quieted again. "They've existed for longer than humans, much longer. They've just been in hiding, from human civilization. Few knew of this; how exactly Nintendo found out about them, I don't know and they're not saying. But they're real, and now they're fighting for their homes." He gestured at the TV, which showed Mewtwo using Psychic on a large hunk of granite, making it float in the air. "And they aren't giving up."

The woman pursed her lips and nodded. "The politicians are here to help explain things to the public, ease them before the news comes out."

"And why am I here?" I asked. "I'm just a lieutenant; it sounds like you need a _general_." I emphasized this by looking at my CO; I was sure he would get the hint.

He laughed and told me "We need you because you're what we need; someone that has knowledge about what we're facing and is able to face it."

I grimaced before asking "Let me guess: Pokéballs don't exist? They aren't real?" The general shook his head. I sighed, saying "I knew it. Things are never easy, are they?"  
"Nope. Not for us, at least. We do have some people working on the idea, but it's very advanced, so we're not expecting progress any time soon. Here are the reports on the threat. Read them. Memorize them. Report back to me at 1800 hours."

**June 5th, 1800 hours**

**163 Hours Left**

"I thought you said Pokéballs didn't exist!" I shouted.

The general glared at me and I stood at attention, expecting to be punished. "I did say they didn't exist, at least not yet soldier," he growled. "That doesn't mean you can't have a partner." Before me was an egg, a Pokémon egg, to be specific. "If you read the dossier, you would know that man-made weapons don't hurt the Pokémon. Stagger them, yes. Hurt them, no. So we need to take a different approach to this problem. A classic approach, if you will."

"What about feeding it?" I asked, incredulous at the situation I was in.

"We have that covered." The general led me over to a table with boxes and cans on top. "After talking with some of the CEOs at Nintendo, and studying the Pokémon, we figured out their basic diets. It varies, but we should have it down for that little bugger over there."

"What will it hatch into?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out. Now get your stuff together, get the egg and go home."

"Home? Not the barracks?"

"No. You'll still be on duty, but you're going home."

**June 6th, 1000 hours**

**148 Hours Left**

I picked up the Pokémon egg and looked closely at it. It was a light tan, the color of sand. Some green spots of varying size were scattered on its surface. I sighed and put it back down. There was no way to tell what was inside of it, and two hours of searching through several Pokémon websites hadn't helped. As far as I could tell, the egg was a replica of those that appeared on the game. In other words, unless you got the egg from the Day-Care Center, if someone told you what the parents were, or if you bred the Pokémon yourself, you wouldn't know what was inside.

I did know that, on the games, walking or biking would make the egg hatch. I doubted that driving would have the same result, so I got out my Diamondback Insight 24. Yeah, it was awesome. I had bought it just a few days ago, for reasons like this. I found an old backpack, put the egg in the largest section as well as some boxes of food (for the Pokémon) and got on the Insight. The ride was smooth, but I avoided other people. I mean, if the egg hatched and other people saw it, there would be a freak out, especially if it was a Charmander or a Cyndaquil. I shuddered at the thought.

I cycled around a park, feeling the air whoosh past me. It was much nicer than being in a Jeep in the middle of a desert. When my watch clicked over to twelve (it had been two hours already?) I started going back to my house. Halfway there, I felt the egg start moving in the bag. I panicked and pumped the pedals even harder. I was glad the bike was made for speed. Otherwise I might not have made it. As it was, I managed to get my bike inside the garage and in my house as the egg started cracking.

I tore the bag off my bag and fished the egg out, nearly dropping it as a large crack ran on the surface, startling me with the noise. It sounded like glass shattering, and I put the egg on the floor, wary of what might come out. With another crack and more imitations of glass shattering, the egg _exploded_. Pieces of shell went everywhere, hitting the walls, the furniture, and the window. I ducked, barely missing a jagged piece as big as my head, which broke up into smaller pieces before hitting the ceiling and falling.

I looked up, wondering what could have caused such a violent reaction. And I groaned; I knew I would have this sort of luck. I stood and faced my new Pokémon. A little Charmander was curled up in the middle of my floor, everlasting fire burning at the tip of its tail. The little lizard stood up in all of its two-foot tall glory. It blinked its teal colored eyes and looked around in confusion.

"Char?" it said. It spotted me and smiled. I could see its fangs and large, pink tongue. "Charmander!" it cried before tackling me to the ground. I found myself laughing as the little lizard crawled over me. "Char, Charmander!"

I heard a loud growling and stopped laughing. The Charmander had a sheepish look on its face and was holding its stomach, embarrassed by the noise it made. I smiled at it and found the backpack. I took out the Pokémon food and a dog dish. I ripped off the top of the box before pouring the food in. Except for their color, which was a mud brown, the looked like Combos. I put the food down and Charmander ran over, curious. He picked up one of the food pellets in his claws, sniffing it. Deciding the food was safe, he popped it in his mouth and ate it.

"Char!"

The Pokémon sat down on the floor and started eating enthusiastically, swishing his tail as he ate. I sat on my sofa and jumped up. Charmander looked at me before turning back to his food. I saw a piece of eggshell on the cushion, where I just tried to sit. I sighed and started gathering up the eggshell pieces while Charmander watched me, happily eating its food. When I was sure I had found every last piece, I pulled out a shoebox and dumped the shards inside. I wasn't sure if I should save them or throw them out, so I left the box on the coffee table, next to the sofa. By then, Charmander had eaten all the food and was settling down for a nap. It curled up just as I had first seen it, snuffling and snorting before falling asleep.

Despite my exhaustion from my near-death experience, feeding the Charmander and picking up after it, I had things to do. First, I washed out the bowl that had the food in it. Next, I had to inform the general that the egg had hatched.

**June 6th, 1256 hours**

**133.44 Hours Left**

"Sir?" I asked, somewhat unsure of myself.

"Yes Lieutenant?"  
"The egg hatched."

"Alright, so what came out?"  
I blinked before saying "Sir, I thought you knew-"

"Yes, I know what I said. I just want to know if I was correct. What was the Pokémon?"

"A Charmander sir."

There was a pause as the general did something on the other line. I shuffled nervously as I waited.

"Yes, it seems they were correct. Did you name it?"

"What? Sir?"

"Did you name the Charmander? Do you even know if it is a boy or girl?"

"Uh, no sir, I didn't. Not yet, at least. And there aren't any physical differences between a male and female Charmander, sir. I checked online."

"All right then. Tomorrow, you're going to begin training. You will be instated into a special division, for training Pokémon. Bring your Charmander with you."

"Sir, what about the public? Won't something seem off?"

"Turn on your television at six o' clock, at the news channel. Record it; you'll be watching history."

**June 6th, 1750 hours**

**128.50 Hours Left**

I poured more food into the dish. Charmander eagerly dove into the meal, eager to eat. I couldn't help but smile at the lizard; it took so much joy from a simple meal.

"You know, I should name you," I said out loud. Charmander looked at me questioningly. "I mean, an actual name, not just Charmander."

"Char?" it asked.

"Yeah." It had only been a few hours since the lizard had hatched, but I was understanding it rather quickly. "Are you a boy or a girl? I can't really tell," I admitted.

"Charmander Charmander."

"I see. I think. You're a girl?" Charmander nodded eagerly before stuffing several pellets in its mouth. "What about Mary?" The Pokémon almost choked on its food. "Yeah, I don't like that name either. Jill?" She shook her head. "Carmelita?" Charmander frowned at me. "Um…" I had the TV turned on and a commercial came on for a site that specialized in names. A list came up and I saw one that felt right. It was under the boy's section, but the name just fit. "What about Zian?"

The Charmander looked up at me and I felt something click. I guess it was something like when Ash, in the television series, and Pikachu first got along, when the little mouse had shocked all the Spearow. The feeling was just right, like all was at peace in the world, and you were content with it. The Charmander smiled at me, and her happiness was infectious. She cried her agreement and celebrated with more food.

I smiled at her and turned my attention to the TV. It had started up a beeping noise, similar to the tornado alert that sometimes came up. I found a remote and clicked record, and a red light on the DVR lit up, letting me know that the program was being recorded. The screen showed 'Breaking News' in big, bold letters on a blue background before breaking off to the anchorwoman.

"Hello, I'm Camilla Ramhreis and this is Breaking News. Senator Joseph Mahogany has offered to give information on the disasters in Asia. We're going live with Leif Ericson. Leif?"

"Hi Camilla, I'm here live at the press conference. Quiet, Senator Mahogany's on now."

The camera focused on Mahogany. I narrowed my eyes; he was the same stuck up staff member that had asked his stupid questions and doubted the general. Zian picked up on this and let out a soft cry. She left her food and climbed up onto my couch, careful not to ignite the furniture. She snuggled up against me, her tail carefully raised. I petted her head and she made a purring noise. I smiled and looked back at the TV.

"To sum up the situation," Mahogany began, "we have a crisis." Several gasps came through the speakers, along with some muttering. "Creatures, commonly known as Pokémon, have appeared in China and Japan. They have begun wreaking havoc, moving westwards. Pictures taken by survivors and witnesses have been recovered; here are some of the few that could be retrieved."

Mahogany stepped aside as a large white sheet was lowered. A projection was brought up onto the screen, showing Ho-Oh on a building. The senator said something else, but I missed it. Zian had wagged her tail, letting out a soft cry as she saw the phoenix. I pet her head again before focusing on the TV.

"The military has begun training soldiers to deal with this new threat. That is all for now," Mahogany finished before walking offstage, ignoring the reporters.

I shook my head at the television before turning it off. I rubbed Zian's head and she purred again. I sat up, careful not to disturb her. I washed the bowl again and pulled out a bottle of water from my fridge. Zian saw me walk into the living room with it and sat up, reaching for the bottle. I let her have it and she scratched at the cap. Then she started gnawing at it, biting it, pulling at it. She tried everything but twisting it off. I held out a hand and she gave the bottle to me without hesitation. I twisted the cap off and gave the bottle back to her. Zian took the bottle, saying 'thank you' in her language, and drank the entire bottle. She licked her lips and burped.

"Charmander," she excused herself.

I smiled; I had the feeling we would get along well with each other.

**June 7th, 0900 hours**

**123 Hours Left**

Pop-Tarts are a wonder of nature. I learned that after Zian woke me up this morning at seven and, impatient with me, tore her way through two boxes of Pop-Tarts. After eating them she was satisfied and let me eat my own breakfast, which ended up being a bowl of Frosted Flakes because she ate my Pop-Tarts. That reminds me; I've got to buy more Pop-Tarts when I go shopping again.

"Come on Zian, we're going to go for a ride."

The little Charmander looked up at me, obviously excited. I led her into the garage and showed her my Insight. She became enraptured by it, delighted by the bike. I could have driven my car, but where's the fun in that?

Zian loved the ride. She climbed up on my back and held tight as I cycled to the barracks. I was actually lucky that I didn't live very far away; otherwise I would have been forced to drive the car. We went by fast enough for passerby to be unsure if they saw an orange lizard clinging to my back. And by the time they would look back, we'd be gone. I was almost sad to get off and lock up the bike. Zian was begging me to go for a ride with her later. I promised to, and I'm sure she'd hold me to it.

The general was waiting for me at the shooting range. Someone had set up a battle-field up a short distance away, and I was told to wait with Zian by the edge. The general then had a short talk with me.

"What's its name?"

"_Her_ name, sir, is Zian," I answered.

He furrowed his brow after hearing this. "Isn't that a boy's name?"

"She liked it," I argued. "It was just… right, I suppose. It just felt right."

The general shook his head in response. It seemed he was doing that with me a lot lately. I let Zian explore a little bit, but not get too far away or out of my sight.

"Sir," I called out. "Are you going to have Zian and I battle someone?"

He looked at me; he had been watching the little lizard walk around. "Yes, I was," he admitted. "The others aren't here yet."

"I don't know what Zian's moves are."

"Then ask her. Maybe she can tell you," the general replied cryptically.

I shrugged and jogged over to Zian. She had found an apple tree and was picking up some apples that had fallen. I smiled at her as she ate one of the apples.

"Zian, can you tell me what moves you know?" I asked.

She swallowed a bite of apple before answering. "Charmander Char. Char Char Charmander."

I nodded; I was pretty sure I got the gist of what she was saying. I led her back to the edge of the field as another soldier came forward to speak with the general. He had a Pikachu following him, sparks leaping from its cheeks. Zian ran forward to talk with the new Pokémon, the first one she ever met.

The general introduced me to the other soldier. He was originally stationed at Fort Irwin, as part of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Sergeant Lewis Jackson; he was well built, with short cut brown hair and brown eyes. He was rather average in features; other than his obvious training and that he had a Pikachu, there was nothing rather notable about him in appearance.

The general wandered off to find the other soldiers, leaving me with Lewis. Rather than look at each other, or stare off in the distance, we watched our Pokémon talk with each other. Every so often, one of them would make a gesture, at one of us or indicating an action. At one point, Zian leaned forward with her arms out, like she was riding my Insight. I smirked at this and knew Lewis caught this.

"What's your Charmander's name?" he asked. His voice was somewhat deep, and had traces of an accent.

"Zian; what's your Pikachu's?"

"Militus."

Interesting, as militus was Latin for 'soldier'. Creative, I guess. Zian and Militus looked away for a moment, interested in something else. I followed their gaze and found the last of the soldiers. A woman, about as tall as I am, had a Totodile following her, jumping and skipping as it went. She had shoulder-length black hair and blue eyes. Her badge showed her to be a captain.

The next had a Mudkip on top of their head, and the small Pokémon chirruped every few seconds, telling its owner something who nodded carefully in response. She was rather small, with dark skin and light gray eyes. Her hair was red-orange, which struck me as rather odd. I couldn't see a badge or pin that signified her ranking.

The next was a Specialist with brown hair and blue eyes, and lightly tanned skin. He was thin but muscular, and reminded me of the Californian stereotype. He wore military fatigues and an empty gun holster on his left hip. Perhaps he forgot the gun or left it in the barracks. A Turtwig patiently followed him, looking up every few seconds to make sure it didn't get lost.

Lastly was a girl. Her Snivy looked somewhat pompous, and I understood how it earned the common nickname 'Smugleaf.' The girl by contrast, looked rather happy and excited. She had a first lieutenants badge pined to her color. Her hair, somewhere between brown and blond, was longer than any of her companions and was held in a ponytail. Her green eyes flashed when she saw Zian and Militus and before I knew it, she picked up Zian.

"Charmander!" she happily said. "Aw, you're so cute," she squealed, hugging the lizard close.

Snivy looked somewhat upset at this, because she used an attack on Zian. She created several leaves that flashed several colors before striking Zian. The lizard cried out before growling at the offending Pokémon. The leaf snake shied away, and I realized Zian had used Growl.

"Seems like they're fighting already," the general remarked. The four newcomers saluted him.

"General Malone, sir," the black-haired woman said. "We were called here."

"Yes you were. You six are our first line of defense from the oncoming threat that the Legendary Pokémon present. So, we will begin by training your Pokémon." He motioned towards us. "Pair up and start training."

**June 7th, 1400 hours**

**122 Hours Left**

Another bowl of food for Zian, and she ate it before I finished making my sandwich. I looked at her and she grinned, swishing her tail at me. She had done really well against the others, even beating Rick and Zoey, which were the Mudkip and Totodile, respectively. I had to say I was surprised; I didn't expect her to be that strong, even against two Water types.

In her third battle, she learned Ember, employing it against Zoey, burning her. The burn turned out to be just what they needed; it damaged the Totodile enough that the next attack, Scratch, could knock her out. Then while facing Militus, she learned Smokescreen, which was effectively employed and allowed for a sneak attack on the lightning mouse.

General Malone let all of us go home, to let the Pokémon rest from their battles. Using the Internet, I found that Zian was about level ten, since she learned Smokescreen. I wasn't sure if levels still applied, considering that was a game and this reality, but who knows? Until a few days ago, I thought that Pokémon didn't exist. I was wrong; I can see that. So levels may still apply here, that's rather clear.

Zian gave me a pleading look before asking "Char?"

I opened the back door, letting the lizard run around in what backyard I had. She raced around, scaring what animals there were. I watched with a smirk on my face that switched to one of horror. She was using Ember on a blue jay that hadn't flown quickly enough.

"No! Zian! Don't do that!"

She backed off, turning her head so the fiery sparks didn't hit the bird. It flew off in a hurry, relieved to get away from the predator. She looked at me, head cocked to the side. There was a sad look in her eyes, knowing she disappointed me. I knelt in front of her and looked in her eyes. She was intelligent, and knew, or at least could learn, what was right from wrong.

"Don't eat the birds, all right? They'll give you indigestion or something." A rumbling noise came from her throat. She was laughing at me, that Charmander. Zian let me lead her back inside the house and I held up a food pellet. "You can eat these, and fruits." I gave her an apple. "Those are good for you, all right."

Zian nodded before munching on the fruit, juice dribbling down her face before she licked it.

**June 10th, 1300 hours**

**47 Hours Left**

Zian glowed with a white light, signaling her evolution. The battle stopped, as both Pokémon and trainer watched the lizard evolve into its next stage. The glow faded, leaving a darker and taller lizard in its place. The scales were brick red, the mouth elongated into a snout. A horn protruded from the back of Zian's head. The shoulders, arms and claws became more defined, the claws in particular. The tail was longer, the fire more intense.

"Charmeleon!" she cried before using Dragon Rage. A blue and black orb of energy shot out her mouth, taking on the form of a dragon before hitting Militus. "Char Char!" Zian cheered as the Pikachu was knocked out.

We fist bumped as the sergeant took care of his Pokémon. The general had long left us to our own devices, trusting that we could care for ourselves and not destroy each other. He only asked for progress reports before we left. While Militus was recovering, we, Zian, Militus, Lewis and I, watched Zoey and Rick battle.

Both Pokémon had grown, becoming faster and stronger from training. Zoey, at a command from Arianna, her trainer, used Water Gun, aiming for the ground beneath her opponent. The Mudkip looked confused before charging at the Totodile. It slipped in the mud created by the Water Gun, falling over. Zoey used Rage, going berserk on its opponent. After the dust cleared, Rick, the Mudkip, had fainted.

Zoey started dancing. Arianna moved to get her Pokémon off the field, but Zoey, in her excitement, bit the top of the captain's head. Arianna freaked out and ran off before I could yell 'Stop'. Frankly, I didn't blame her.

"Come on Zian," I said before running off. The Charmeleon kept pace with me and was much faster than her previous form. "There she is," I said, spotting her entering the barracks.

We ran inside, Zian earning some odd looks from the visitors and off-duty soldiers. The two were gone, but Zian perked her head and ran ahead, with me following behind. After running into a few dead ends, Zian gave up and used Dragon Rage on a wall, running into the next room.

"Zian! You're not supposed to do that!" I yelled.

"Charmeleon," she answered sheepishly. She swished her tail before saying "Char."

I looked over like she said and saw Arianna and Totodile. She had gone to a nurse who was now removing the Pokémon from the woman's head. I felt my lip twitch and I started laughing. Zian and the captain looked startled, as did the Totodile, who let go of her trainer's head to watch me. Zian approached me, but I put a hand up, stopping her. The nurse ignored me entirely, now checking Arianna's head for wounds. After a few minutes I stopped laughing enough to speak.

"Sorry, I just had to laugh. We thought you were hurt, so we came here after you. Zian blew down a wall and you were completely fine." I held my head in my hand and shook my head, a few chuckles escaping my throat. "I guess it was just all too funny."

Zian grumbled something and Arianna gave me a look that screamed 'Are you crazy?' I looked back at the wall and groaned. How was I going to explain that?

**June 11th, 2300 hours**

**13 Hours Left**

"Careful Zian," I said. A quick look in the rear-view mirror showed her looking out the window, claws on the glass. She looked like a little kid. "What are you doing back there?"

"Char," she answered.

I turned in my seat and saw a kid, maybe ten years old, string back at Zian. He glanced back at the DS he was holding before staring at Zian again. He held the screen up against the glass and I saw a Charmeleon Pokédex entry. Zian looked at it oddly before I drove away, the little kid looking on. Another glance in the mirror showed her looking through the back, trying to see the little kid. She swished her tail and knocked over my AK-103, which had been lying on the seats. Thankfully it hadn't been loaded and the safety was on

"New friend?" I commented.

"Charmeleon," she said.

"We're almost there, don't worry."

The Legendary Pokémon were almost here, and with them, more Pokémon. It would be chaos, trying to settle everything down. I was being sent out to try and intercept them, at the very least slow them down. For some reason, I had a very bad feeling about this…

**June 12th, 1200 hours**

**NO TIME LEFT**

I stood next to an oak tree. In my hands was my AK, to my right Zian. We were too late; we were out of time. In the distance was the city we were to protect, but either the threat moved faster than anticipated, or we were too slow. It didn't matter now; what did matter was what we were going to do about it.

Ho-Oh flew overhead, crying out indignantly. It soared over the city, crying out again. A Flamethrower gushed from its mouth, hitting the buildings below. The fire stream stopped for a moment before starting up again, this time hitting another section of the city. A bright blast appeared in the burned buildings before a missile shot out and hit the bird. It appeared to be a Javelin rocket, leaving a smoke trail in the air. The Ho-Oh shook off the attack like it was nothing, dropping a feather or two. I checked the AK's magazine before turning to my partner.

"You ready to fight?" Zian looked at me, a bright glint in her eye.

"Charmeleon!" she cried, clenching her claws into fists.

With that, we set off, ready to fight.


	2. Part II: The Mission

Disclaimer: I do not own Call of Duty or any of the Pokémon games, toys, television episodes, etc., Coco Puffs, or Assassin's Creed. I can use that as a name if I want. I do own my various OCs.

Author's Note: I could have made this better, but as a rule I don't use swears or similar slang. There's not much I can do here, sorry. As I believe I mentioned before, the chapters do become progressively shorter, with this one just touching 6,000 words. Thanks to the few of you who have reviewed in this scant crossover section. Cookies and other goodies and confectionaries to you all.

Part II: The Mission

**June 12****th****, 1205 hours**

In five seconds, Ho-Oh destroyed the city. In four seconds, chaos had taken over the streets, people either trying to escape or loot the abandoned stores and houses. In three seconds, Zian was attacked. In two seconds, I had lost Zian to the chaos, unable to find her. In one second, I had nearly lost Zian for good. In no time, I had snapped.

The man that held the lizard up would regret that move. I charged at him, anger taking control of any thought I had left. My shoulder rammed into his side and he fell over, dropping Zian. I barely caught her before she fell, making sure she was okay before turning my attention to the perpetrator. He looked a few inches taller than me, heavily muscled and scarred. I lifted my AK and pointed it at him.

"Don't _ever_ do that again," I warned. I looked over at Zian, who was startled by the attack but unharmed. "Come on, we've got to get going," I said.

I jogged away with Zian following. I didn't bother looking back; he wasn't worth the effort.

_"Why did you do that?"_ Zian asked. Most people would have heard Pokémon talk, but after spending time with the Charmeleon, I could understand her pretty well. _"It didn't make sense.__"_

"What? What'd I do?"

_"Stop that guy; I could've gotten him on my own,"_ she argued.

"Zian, we work together; we're friends, we're partners. I don't need a reason to help you. Besides, he was going to hurt you," I said.

Zian jumped over a crater in the street, distracted from her answer. The smell of cooked meat came from inside the ditch. Zian tried to peer inside, but I pulled her away. With one last cry, Ho-Oh flew away, leaving the city in ruins. I glared up at it as it flew off, leaving a rainbow in its wake. I cursed softly to myself; that bird was leaving insult with injury.

"We should move on," I said softly. "There's not much we can do here."

**June 13****th****, 0615 hours**

Zian abruptly woke up. She had heard a noise, but wasn't sure if it was a dream. I woke up when she started breathing in my face. Her tail nearly blinded me, and I needed to shield my eyes until they adjusted to the light.

"What?" I mumbled. "What is it?"  
_"I heard something crying."_

Her tail moved, casting shadows across the trees. We had camped out in a forest, trying to follow Ho-Oh. We lost the legendary after a few hours, and were almost completely lost.

"Do you know where it is?"  
_"I can look for it."_

I motioned with my hand and Zian started moving through the forest, ever careful not to set the trees or plants on fire. She used her claws to scratch the trees, leaving a trail back to the camp. The night was near silent, the creatures fearful of the fiery lizard. Her claws rasped against the wood, surprisingly soft and calming. Zian paused, sniffing the air.

"_It's just up ahead,"_ she whispered. _"It's a Pokémon; a small one at that."_

"Just because its small won't mean its weak," I whispered back. "Let's be careful, all right?"

Zian nodded before forging ahead, low to the ground. I followed silently. The fire would give us away, but I couldn't ask Zian to put it out without killing her. There was a noise head, but it was too dark for me to see it. Zian made the fire at the end of her tail expand, increasing the circle of light. A blue and black creature seemed to melt out of the shadows.

"Oh no," I said in horror. The Pokémon was covered in blood, thick on its fur and on the ground. "Oh no," I repeated, picking the Pokémon up. The jackal softly whined when I touched it. The blood was sticky, staining my fingers red and shining wetly in Zian's light. "Can you lead us back to the camp?" I asked.

"_Yeah… Who would do this?"_ Zian's eyes focused on me questioningly.

"I don't know."

The Pokémon whined again, prompting us to move faster.

**June 13****th****, 0645 hours**

_"What is it?"_ Zian asked.

"A Riolu I think." I toweled off more blood. "Yeah, it looks like one."

_"Can you tell me more about them?"_

"There's only so much I know. Riolu is a Fighting type Pokémon and-"

_"What's Fighting type?"_

"Huh?"

_"What does Fighting type mean?"_ I leaned back and looked at Zian. She looked back at me before taking the towel I was holding and cleaning up the Riolu. _"Are there other types?"_

"Um… Types are… classification of Pokémon and their attacks, based on their weakness, resistance and immunity to an attack. Certain Pokémon are one type and others are two, while all attacks are only one type."

_"And what am I?"_

"A Fire type."  
_"So what am I strong against?_

"What do you think you are?"

Zian paused before saying _"I can't explain it. I know, but I don't know."_

"Instinct, I guess." After receiving a questioning look from the Charmeleon I continued. "It's like a memory from your ancestors, imprinted in your brain…" I trailed off, noticing that the Riolu stirred.

The jackal lifted its head and saw Zian. It shivered and pushed itself away from her. Zian and I backed away from the smaller Pokémon, giving it the room it needed. It leaned against a tree, knees drawn up to its chest, arms wrapped around its legs. I looked around for my pack; I had put some food in it. I glanced at the Riolu again, noticing that it wasn't injured, but the blood had to have come from somewhere.

**June 13****th****, 0845 hours**

We had moved on from the camp, trying to follow the destruction Ho-Oh left. This was proving much more difficult than it should, as Ho-Oh had only attacked cities, leaving towns virtually unharmed. The forests seemed to stretch on forever, without end. Walking for two hours had no result, except getting us more lost than before.

"Aargh! We're lost," I complained.

_"Humans have no sense of direction,"_ Zian dryly observed.

"Everything's the same," I reasoned. "Do you think you can find a way out of here?"

_"No. I can't fly over the trees, nor is my smell developed enough to pick out a trail."_

I thought about Charizard, the final evolution in store for Charmeleon. Charizard could fly, but Zian wouldn't evolve until she was ready. I was distracted by a snapping noise behind me, but a quick search turned up nothing but squirrels. They apparently decided that they didn't like me, because they started throwing nuts at me. Very hard ones at that, like acorns and walnuts.

Zian got angry and blasted a Dragon Rage at them, blasting off five or six branches along with the squirrels. I glared at her and she shrugged at me, not caring for the damage she caused. There was another snap, but off in the distance, followed by a yell.

"That's why you can't go off and destroy things Zian," I scolded while running towards the yell.

_"I didn't know that would happen! Besides, they were throwing nuts at you!"_ she explained, running alongside me. I felt my lip twitch.

"If we were anywhere else, people would be laughing at that," I said after jumping over a tree root in the ground.

_"I don't want to know why; it's probably disgusting."_

"Exactly," I conceded before tripping on a root, falling face first onto the forest floor.

I came face to face with a Riolu. Not just any Riolu; _the_ Riolu Zian and I found earlier. It blinked at me and I looked up, seeing a person. They were wearing dark clothes and a black ski mask. That set off alarm bells in my head; people usually don't where ski masks unless they're doing something illegal. Except for that one guy at an Olive Grove restaurant, but he was just weird.

The man freaked out and raised a gun, pointing it at my face. I could feel my heart beating faster against the ground as I analyzed the gun. SPAS-12, silencer attached. No other visible modifications or attachments. Zian seemed to realize what the weapon was, because she used Dragon Rage again, aiming it at the gun.

She was just fast enough, hitting the gun and knocking it off onto the trees, the shotgun blasting as it flew. She tackled the gunman to the ground, using Growl. At first, the attack confused me, but then I saw that it had cowed him enough to keep him from trying to attack her or shove her off of him.

"Good idea," I said to her.

_"Naturally."_

"Y-you're one of them?" the man stuttered. His face grew hard with anger. "You people did _nothing _to stop those monsters from attacking, and look at where we are now! My wife and kids are dead, because of that bird, and I'm going to die by lizard! Just get it over with," he spat. I blinked in shock and shared a glance with Zian; she wasn't expecting this either. "I decided to take the initiative," the man rambled. "Attack them before they attack me. Well the bird already did, but that's beside the point. I found the dogs in the forest, so I hurt them. They bleed, just like any other animal. The little one got away, so I hunted it down and made it bleed all over the ground."

_"But what you forgot,"_ Zian growled, _"is that you bleed as well!"_ She emphasized her pint by holding her claws close to her throat. The man seemed to panic and she used Growl again to keep him from escaping.

"She said that you forgot that humans bleed too. That's something that shouldn't be forgotten," I warned. "Attacking Pokémon, which is what these creatures are, is a federal crime." I made that up on the spot. "A first time offense gets you a warning; second time you can and will be tried for life in jail, no parole. So, unless you want to spend the rest of your life in jail, you're going to show me where the bigger ones were. And I think you know what they do to killers in jail."

The man nodded and Zian let him up with one last Growl. He seemed meek now that he was threatened with death by Charmeleon or life in jail. I picked up the Riolu, which whimpered with pain, but didn't move. A quick inspection showed that it had been stabbed by a knife, which was still embedded in its flesh. It would be better to leave it in, as it would lessen the blood flow out of the body. I softly swore to myself before glaring at the man. He wouldn't meet my gaze. After checking that I was ready, Zian growled at the man, prompting him to move.

Seconds became minutes, minutes felt like hours. What could be seen of the sky above the treetops became lighter as the sun crept up in the sky. When the sun reached its noontime position, the man stopped and Zian almost walked into him, catching herself at the last moment. I walked into Zian and saw something I knew would haunt my dreams.

The two Lucarios were down on the ground, their blood soaking the dirt. They were pecked apart by scavengers, most in hiding. Two Mandibuzz were pecking at one of the Lucarios, ripping a hole in its stomach with their beaks. A Vullaby was gorging itself on the intestines of the second Lucario.

"Z-Zian use F-Flare Blitz," I stuttered before throwing up behind a tree. I heard the crackling of the attack and the cries of the birds as they flew away, leaving the corpses behind. I shook my head to try and clear the image, but to no avail. I shakily stood, barely noticing that the man was gone. Zian turned away from the carnage, concerned.

_Are you okay?"_ I nodded, and she said _"We should fix up the Riolu. It will bleed to death if we don't."_

I nodded again, managing to choke out "We should go; I don't think I can stand to be here much longer."

Zian nodded, leading me away from the two Lucarios. I could hear the flap of wings as the vulture Pokémon returned, cawing over their food.

**June 13****th****, 1400 hours**

I sat back and admired my handiwork. Admittedly, I had never been the best with medical supplies, but I did an okay job here. A doctor would have done a better job, but we were still lost in the forest and had no idea where civilization was. We could have crossed into Canada for all I knew.

The bandages on the Riolu were wrapped around its torso. They were slowly turning pink from the blood. I sighed and looked over to Zian. For a Fire Pokémon, it sure took time for her to build a fire. She was still looking for suitable sticks to burn. How long does it take to find sticks in a forest?

I pulled out my pack and looked for food. I had a few cans of Spam left, about a box of Pokémon food, and a water bottle. Not enough for two Pokémon and a human. I sighed; time to go hunting. Zian came back and say me holding the pack.

_"Are we running low on food?" _she asked, placing the sticks down.

"Yeah," I sighed, tossing the pack to her. "I was going to see if there was anything edible around here."

_Don't bother, I found something."_

Zian ran into the trees, and I had to run after her. She stopped not very far from the camp, pointing at one of the trees. One of the trees seemed to be growing blue oranges. I shrugged, thinking '_What could get weirder?'_ I climbed up the trunk and slid onto a branch. I leaned forward, since the branch wouldn't hold my weight if I moved up on it, and picked some of the berries off the leaves.

"Do you know if these are safe to eat?" I asked, picking off some more berries.

_"Yes. My… instincts, I believe, tell me that these fruits are safe. They also heal injuries when eaten."_

"Really? Well, that gives me an idea," I said with a grin.

We gathered up the berries and headed back to the camp. Riolu was sleeping against a tree, snoring softly. Zian and I prepared the fire, using some sticks to skewer the blue fruits and set them over the fire to roast. Within minutes, a delicious aroma wafted over the camp, waking up Riolu. It sniffed the air and looked longingly at the berries. It tried to stand, but fell back down.

I took on of the skewers and gave it to the Riolu. It allowed a questioning glance to slip out before focusing on the fruit. It began eating, devouring the fruit in seconds. A bush rustled in the distance. Zian nodded and went to check it out before I could say a word.

"_Nothing, just a stick," _she told me, tossing the twig into the fire.

Something fell on top of the fire and screeched. I put my hands on my ears, unable to think with the horrible noise. I felt something dribble onto my ears and held my hands in front of my face. My hands were stained with blood, the last thing I saw before I blacked out into unconsciousness.

**Unknown date, unknown time**

I inhaled sharply, smelling pine trees. The smell hurt my head, giving me a throbbing ache just behind my eyes. I groaned and tried to lift my hand, but it felt far heavier than normal. My eyelids alone felt like they weighed more than a tank, each. There was a sharp noise and I felt my eyes screw up. It let off with a choked cry, and, thinking of Zian, I shot up, managing to stand without falling over.

A Lucario was using Aura Sphere on a Mandibuzz. The vulture balked, trying to escape it, but the sphere followed it into the air, making the bird fall into the trees with a cry. The Lucario walked over to me, placing a reassuring paw on my arm, helping me to sit back down. I did, feeling the headache intensify. I looked over to my right and saw Zian, standing shakily. The Lucario went over to her and led her to me, coaxing her into sitting. The jackal then went over to the fire, taking the fruits to us. I accepted the berry with a soft 'Thank you.' Zian inclined her head, giving the Pokémon her thanks. I ate the berry and felt the juice rush into my mouth. It was much more delicious than any fruit I had ever had.

Swallowing, I asked "Who are you?"

"I am Ascalon," a voice said. I felt myself stiffen, bracing for another attack, and the voice laughed. "I'm talking to you through telepathy."

"What happened?"

"The two Mandibuzz that your Charmeleon drove away earlier came back for revenge."

"Zian; her name is Zian."

"I see."

We were both silent, unsure of how to continue. Zian seemed to pick up on this and said nothing, instead finishing the fruit Ascalon gave her. I finished mine as well, and a question formed in my head.

"Are you the Riolu we saw earlier?" Ascalon seemed to chew this thought over before asking.

"Yes. First, I was trying to escape the man; he was insane, and there was noting I could do for my parents. They were already dead. You two found me, but at the time, I was too scared to do anything. After you left, I followed you for some time, and then left when I sensed the man's aura, as he was tracking me and would hurt anyone he came across. I thought I could defeat him, but he was too strong. Then you two came and rescued me again. You helped me heal, and then the Mandibuzz came, using Screech. It was loud enough to knock the two of you out, and my wanting to repay you helped me evolve. I wanted to return the favor in full, but now, I wish to travel with the two of you."

I held up a hand, saying "Hang on; you mentioned aura. What is that?"  
"It's a name for the life force of everything. Inanimate objects have a form of aura that some Pokémon can see."

"Are there any humans with this ability?"

"It is possible," Ascalon conceded. He cocked his head slightly. "Why do you want to know?"  
"Mostly curiosity. Can you sense aura?"  
"Yes."  
"Could you help us get out of this forest?"

"It would depend on where you want to go."

"To civilization."  
"I can try my best."

Ascalon stood near the fire and brought its paws together as though praying. Its hair like appendages rose from the back of its neck, glowing at the edges with a faint light. The Pokémon's eyes were illuminated beneath their lids. After a few moments, the two lights faded and Ascalon opened its eyes.

"The nearest human civilization is that way," Ascalon said, pointing a paw through the forest. "It would be best to leave early tomorrow, as it is some ways away."

"All right, but I have one last question," I said, raising a finger.

"What is it?"

"I can't really tell; are you a guy or a girl?"

Ascalon laughed, saying "I am a guy."

**Unknown date, unknown time**

Zian and Ascalon began training again while I set up the tent. It had been, presumably, several days, since we found Ascalon. The canopy had become thick enough where day had become near indistinguishable with night. I had lost track of the days, and for all I knew, it could have been August. I shuddered. I hope that it wasn't August.

A noise distracted me from my thoughts. Ascalon had used Blaze Kick on a tree and had knocked something out of it. A small, pink fruit resembling a peach had fallen out. I looked up into the tree, and –sure enough– there were more pink fruits. Ascalon picked up a fruit and sniffed it. He bit into it, savoring the flavors.

"It is safe to eat," he declared. "There is a hollow center, but the meat is very sweet like candy."

I didn't question how the jackal knew what candy was, but I did care that we had found another fruit tree. I climbed up like before and started collecting fruit while the two Pokémon continued training. I heard soft cursing and looked around. I felt for my AK and forgot it was inside the tent. I heard and 'Aha!' and looked down.

There was a person at the edge of the clearing, a woman by the looks of it, with a Serperior next to her. I saw that she had dog tags on, over her white T-shirt. Zian looked at the Serperior oddly as the woman strode forward. I silently dropped down, out of sight.

_"Sheila?"_ Zian asked.

The woman turned around as the Serperior answered. She strode over to Zian, giving her a close look.

"If you're who I think you are, then…"

"I came up from behind. "Then you must be Tiamat," I said with a smirk. She squealed and my smirk grew bigger. "You make it too easy." She smacked my arm, so, for her sake, I winced and said "Ouch."

Looking satisfied, the lieutenant told me "I came here looking for you. You went off the grid and a lot of the whistle-stoppers thought you went AWOL. So, I came out here, since they thought you might've gotten lost following Ho-Oh."

"I did. That bird moves pretty fast. We lost it in about an hour, and then got lost in the forest. But we found a Lucario," I said, gesturing at the aura seeker. "We helped him, and he decided to help us."  
"What'd you do to help him?"  
"I was saved from my parents' killer," Ascalon interceded. He held a paw out to Tiamat. "You can call me Ascalon." If she was surprised by the Lucario's telepathy, she didn't show it. Instead she took the paw and shook it.

"I am Tiamat Tamar, but you can call me Tiamat. This is Sheila, my Serperior."

Sheila inclined her head and said _"Hello."_

I found myself surprised. Until then, I had only understood Zian and Ascalon; Ascalon through his telepathy, Zian from… I don't know, spending time with her, I guess. But while training at the barracks, I hadn't understood anyone else's Pokémon. I filed this information away for later; what was important was getting back home.

"All right, let's get going then. If we're close to a city, then we better get moving," I said, packing away the tent and forgetting the fruits on the ground.

Zian picked one of the hot pink fruits up and asked _"Are we going to eat these?"_

**Unknown date, unknown time**

"Oh yes!" I cried. "Civilization!" I earned myself a few odd looks from passerby, but found them well earned. "Oh yeah, what day is it?" Tiamat put a finger on her chin, thinking.

"Today would be… June eighteenth, I think." She checked her watch. "Yeah, it's June eighteenth, about twelve o'clock."

"We'd been stuck in there for four days. Four days!" We started walking, no direction or destination in mind.

Zian patted my hand to reassure me, before asking _"Why aren't all of the people getting scared? All the humans were afraid of Ho-Oh, and the crazy guy attacked Ascalon and his parents."_

"That guy was crazy Zian; crazy people don't think rationally. And Ho-Oh was burning down the city, which freaked a lot of people out. Things like that didn't normally happen."

_"__Didn't normally happen?"_

"No, Pokémon have come here only recently."

_"So where did I come from?"_

"I don't know. I was given your egg, and you hatched in my house."

_"I know that," _Zian said with a playful swat of her tail. _"But you really don't know too much about it?"_

"No, I'm sorry." I rubbed her head and she purred slightly, still upset. "We'll ask the general if we see him, all right?" Zian bobbed her head. "Do you know how long it's going to be until you evolve again?"

_"A little while, but not too long."_

**June 17****th****, 1700 hours**

"Where have you been?" General Malone yelled. I paused for a moment, trying to find out where to start, and the general continued on without me. "They've gotten back to the start and disappeared. And now we have panic all over the states."

"Zian and I tried to follow Ho-Oh, like we were ordered to, but it picked up speed while over a forest. We lost it soon after that, and got lost in the forest, which seemed to increase in size. It was much larger than before Ho-Oh had flown over it, sir."

"Then what do we do sir?"

"We adjust. Get thee civilians used to living with Pokémon, and search for Ho-Oh if we can reverse this."  
"Reverse this, sir?" I stiffened at the thought. I looked at Zian, slightly panicking. "Perhaps there's some good in this situation, sir." Malone squinted at me questioningly.

"You've gotten attached to her, haven't you?" I didn't hesitate this time, immediately nodding. The general sighed. "Then you're dismissed. You've been discharged." I felt my mouth gape open like a fish's.

"Sir?" I asked incredulously. "You're… discharging me?"

"Honorable discharge," he said, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry; I'm sure you'll get somewhere good."

"All right," I answered, nodding my head. "I'm just going… to need a few minutes." I found a wall and slid down, sitting on the floor. Zian sat next to me, her body warm next to mine. Ascalon seemed unsure of himself, but he sat next to me on my other side. I wasn't sad, I was just… shocked, I suppose. And disappointed, but at who, I wasn't sure. I felt myself swallow a few times, but I began to space out.

**June 18****h****, 1200 hours**

I didn't remember it, but at some point yesterday, I had gotten up and gone home, Zian and Ascalon following behind me. I got into bed, both of the Pokémon getting in next to me. And when I woke up that morning, I yelled, waking the two of them up, and fell off my bed.

_"What are we going to do?"_ Zian asked. _"Until now, we've always had some sort of mission to go on. Well, we've only been on two missions, three at most. But we've always had something that we had to do. So what are we doing?"_

"I don't know," I honestly said. "I don't know. I didn't think about getting discharged, I didn't know I _would_ get discharged."

"Something is coming," Ascalon said. "I can't identify it, but it is rather large. It seems that it is going to land in the… front of your house."

Something touched down outside, making the earth quake slightly. The air shuddered as it cried, a draconic noise filled with pain and joy. I rushed outside with Zian and Ascalon on my heels. A beheld a giant black dragon, its back to me.

The dragon was tall, far taller than me. Its wings looked slightly webbed, if that was possible, as well as its hands, which had smaller claws on the inside. It looked like it had a cloud-shaped horn, tapering off at the end. Its tail was shaped like a top, spiked, and glowed a bright blue every few seconds, lighting the tip of its horn as well as several parts of its body. The dragon turned its head and saw me, then began turning its body as well, careful not to hit anything with its overly large tail.

"Come."

The command reverberated in my mind, drowning out any thoughts. It was grand, powerful, and sonorous. I felt something on my shoulder but largely ignored it, focusing instead on the dragon. I noticed its eyes shifted between red sclera and white irises, but did so slowly, reminding me of a lava lamp. The dragon picked me up in one of its claws, placing me on its back, doing the same with Ascalon. It looked at Zian and snorted, calling down a thunderbolt. I yelled, but couldn't hear it in the noise, unable to see from the light the bolt extruded.

When my eyes cleared from the light, and the ringing quieted to a dull roar, I opened my eyes and saw a Charizard. Somehow, the dragon had evolved Zian. It looked Zian over, nodded in approval, and took off into the air. Zian yelled before lifting off, unused to the new feeling. The black dragon didn't stop, leading Zian somewhere unknown.

**June 18****th****, 1400 hours**

I dismounted the dragon, legs shaky from the flight. Zian landed, exhausted from flying for so long. I checked her over –despite her reassurances that she was fine– before looking around to see where the dragon had landed. We were on a cliff, clouds touching the walls just a few feet below the edge. The cliff itself was bare, but up ahead was split into different sections. One section was covered with snow, another with sand. Another had mountaintops, one a deep sea. I saw a craggy volcano, while another had rolling hills, covered with grass. The last two looked like the inside of a dark cave, wet and shadowy despite the sun still high in the sky, and the last being a forest. A white-gold circle lay on top of all the sections, close to the center, which was nothing but air. Literally; there was a hole that went down, through the cliff, leaving nothing but air. I stared, amazed, while the dragon went on ahead. He took a spot on the circle, standing next to a white dragon I hadn't noticed before.

Where the black dragon was tough, the white dragon was soft. It had white protrusions from its head, like hair or feathery tufts. Its wings were bird like, and had a large tail like its counterpart, but glowed with a soft red light. The white dragon looked more like a girl, the black like a guy. I heard a voice, the same as before.

"Come."

I walked forward, onto the circle, between the two dragons. I could almost feel their names coming to the forefront of my mind. The one on my left –the feathery white one– was Reshiram, and the on my right –the tough, black one– was Zekrom. Both dragons roared, calling other beings forth. The air shuddered with their calls, and I almost felt myself become faint. It was like an earthquake in the air, if that was possible.

Few Pokémon answered the call. There were three dog like creatures, Raikou, Suicune and Entei,; I saw a Mew and Celebi floating around with Jirachi; Mewtwo came, floating next to his 'father'; Deoxys and Genesect came; the Musketeers, Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion and Keldeo; Cresselia and Darkrai; and Kyurem, the last of the Tao trio.

Several Pokémon looked reluctant, unsure if they should be there. Some looked at me questioningly but didn't speak. I could feel Zian's curiosity, but she stayed by the cliff, instead resting her wings and watching the proceedings. At some point, Ascalon had gone to her without me noticing.

"Where are Rayquaza, Groudon and Kyogre? And where are the Prince of the Sea and his son?" Reshiram asked.

Mewtwo answered, telling the white dragon "The Golem trio, the Weather trio, the Lake trio, and Creation trio were unable to come. Most were unsure if they should act against Ho-Oh's demands; others were simply too busy. The Prince of the Sea and Phione were kept away by Kyogre, as they are still too young to be in such matters. Arceus," here Mewtwo faltered, "he does not listen when called, and only comes at his own discretion."

Zekrom growled "Fine. We'll have to settle this without him. _Again._" He then addressed all of the gathered Legendary Pokémon. "Ho-Oh has grown sick of humanity, and decided to bring Pokémon back to the forefront of the world. Both humans and animals were unprepared for this, and the effect is quite clear. But the damage is done, and Pokémon are living amongst the humans. We must do our best to help both species adapt, and stop Ho-Oh from continuing his plan. He plans on circling the planet again, wiping out the human race. And he must be stopped." Zekrom paused and looked at the Pokémon, most of which were shuffling around. "Do any of you have any ideas on how to take him down?"

There as no answer. I looked at the Pokémon, seeing that most of them were nervous of themselves, as though afraid. They were probably afraid of Ho-Oh, fearing that he would learn of their presence here and decide to incinerate the 'traitors' into ashes.

I felt a rumble as Zekrom sighed, the earth quaking slightly with his impatience. Reshiram spoke up before his counterpart could show his allies how exasperated he was.

"Perhaps we should seek an alliance with the humans," he suggested. Ignoring the odd looks from his peers, Reshiram continued. "This one has proven that humans and Pokémon can work together." Mewtwo floated closer for a better look, Deoxys close behind. "I believe that they can be trusted, for the most part. They are the ones in danger, after all." Mewtwo raised a hand, glowing with psychic power.

"I'll be the judge of that."

The clone used his power to delve into my mind. I fell to my knees, exhaling silently. I could feel my lungs struggle for breath as he searched through my mind, looking for any signs of treachery, distrust or unworthiness. He lowered his hand, and I felt air rush back into my lungs, making me cough.

"This one can be trusted," Mewtwo grudgingly admitted. "But I cannot be sure of the other humans. It is difficult to judge a species with one representative."

Mewtwo floated back to his place while Deoxys came forward. I noticed he was in his Normal Forme, leaving his arms as the tentacles rather than turning them into arms. Deoxys helped me up to my feet before placing his tentacles on my shoulders, searching my mind like Mewtwo. Unlike the clone, Deoxys didn't hurt me, being gentler while searching. Apparently satisfied, Deoxys floated back next to Mewtwo, turning its tentacles into hands and crossing them over its chest.

Reshiram nodded in approval, stating "Then at least this one can be trusted. Will you aid us?" I looked up at the dragon, incredulous.

"Of course I will."


	3. The End of Days

Disclaimer: I do not own Call of Duty or any of the Pokémon games, toys, television episodes, etc. I do own my various OCs.

Author's Note: I could have made this better, but as a rule I don't use swears or similar slang. There's not much I can do here, sorry.

Part III: The End of Days

**June 19****th****, 0000 hours**

Ascalon looked me over, unimpressed.

"There is something on you," he said. I twisted around, trying to see my back. "Here," he sighed, pulling something off of me. "I believe it is a Pokémon."

I didn't see anything at first. Then there was a purple light and a grey and red fox appeared, snickering at me. It glanced at me with its blue eyes, a mischievous grin on its face. It wriggled free of Ascalon's grip, landing on its paws. It snickered again before jumping in the air, doing a front flip. It continued to spin, increasing in speed and glowing purple. When it landed, it was a human girl. She stood up and had the same smirk as the fox. The girl bowed slightly, keeping her eyes locked with mine.

"My name is Volpe." The answer made me frown, and I gave her a questioning look.

"Your name is 'fox'?" Volpe nodded, so I continued. "And you're a fox."

"A Zorua, actually, but you're pretty close." She laughed at me, and I stepped back, afraid she was going to pull a knife out of nowhere and stab me with it. "I followed you up into the cloud; I saw and heard what was going to happen. I don't want that to happen; humans are much too gullible to exterminate." She stepped closer to me, placing her hands on my shoulders, drawing me close to her. "So, I decided I want to help you. That's why I let your Lucario find me. If I help you, then I won't lose all of my fun."

Volpe drew uncomfortably close to me, linking her arms around my neck I felt myself sweating in fear; this girl was cuckoo for Coco Puffs. The fox-girl drew back, dropping her arms, giving me a malicious smirk as she backed away. I felt myself swallow and thought '_I'm going to have to be careful around her.'_

"I sort of stopped paying attention after I heard that Ho-Oh was going to destroy all of my play things. So, what are we going to do?"  
"We were going to exploit Ho-Oh's weakness. In a few days is the summer solstice, the one day of the year when the Northern Hemisphere has the most light. So, if Ho-Oh could be trapped on the solstice…"

"…then it wouldn't' get any power from the sun! Brilliant!"

Volpe grinned at me, and I found myself grinning back. She then surprised me by glowing purple as she did before, flipping into the air. When she landed, she was a Lucario like Ascalon. The grin seemed out of place on such a serious face. The illusionist scampered off and I sighed. It would take a lot of energy to keep her down. Zian, who had been silent, observing the situation, laughed at me. Her laugh had become a rumbling, deep in her throat and chest. It sounded like a small earthquake.

_"She is going to be quite the handful,"_ she laughed, an odd glint in her eye.

**June 19****th****, 0600 hours**

I stood at the lip of the volcano, on the outer edge. The crater was more than two hundred feet in, something that would take days for me to traverse on my own. I reached up and felt Zian's scales, which were warm from her internal fires. He tail curled around my waist, showing her protective side again. Ascalon was scouting out the area with Volpe, the two lightly bickering.

I couldn't help but smile at the thought of those two; as though reading my mind, Zian chuckled and commented _"Those two are like brother and sister, always arguing. But they would risk their lives to save the other, or us, should that happen."_

"If we have any luck at all," I replied, "then that should never happen. Or if there is any god or goddess out there."

"_Arceus is a sort of god, I suppose," _Zian mused. _"He sees all and knows all. He can create and destroy any and all with his power. Does that fit the parameters of 'god'?"_

"I don't know; I'm not a theologist." I frowned after a moment. "If Arceus sees and knows all," I said slowly, "then why doesn't he do something about this?" I elaborated with a wave of my arm. Zian snorted a plume of smoke before answering.  
_"This is merely a small event surrounded by larger events," _she explained. _"In the timeline as a whole, this is but a speck of an event. The birth and death of the universes, as well as their recreation, is Arceus' main concern. If he had a moment and power to spare, he would likely aid us or Ho-Oh. Ah, well; if we cannot receive aid, it is good that our enemies cannot as well."_

I nodded in agreement as Ascalon came back, an unusual grin on his face. Volpe was not far behind in human form, laughing so hard that she had trouble breathing. I gave the ma look and Volpe slapped a hand over her mouth to quiet her giggles. Ascalon cleared his throat, something completely unnecessary, before using his telepathy.

"_There are some Pokémon up ahead, but none stronger than us. We had come across some remains of camps as well, most several weeks old."_

"Were there any humans?"

"…_None that was still alive."_ I thought that over for a moment before responding.

"Were any of them burned?" Ascalon shook his head and I leaned back slightly, thinking. "Then we should be fine. It doesn't seem that Ho-Oh has taken it upon himself to directly hurt humans. At least not yet, anyways." Without thinking, I asked "What were you laughing about, Volpe?" The little fox-girl giggled again before she could answer.

"Ascalon told me a funny joke," she snickered. I looked at Ascalon. _He _told a _joke_? "You probably wouldn't get it though."

I shook my head in mock dismay, earning another giggle fit from Volpe and an amused snort from Zian.

**June 19****th****, 1200 hours**

The campground was abandoned, just like Ascalon said. A quick search showed that either the people that had been here had left, or were eaten to the last bit. I shuddered at the second thought. Zian exhaled a warm breath over me, reminding me to pay attention. I looked inside the tents left behind, sagging with fallen nuts, berries and pinecones that landed on top of it. A Mighteyana growled at me, woken from its slumber. I put my hands down, palms outward, and backed away slowly. The hyena didn't follow me, and settled with watching me retreat.

**June 19****th****, 1800 hours**

Ascalon led us ahead, and we covered about five miles into the crater before I realized how late it was.

"We'll never make it in time," I growled.

"_I can fly you there,"_ Zian said. I shook my head.

"I don't want to hurt you; the distance is too far for all three of us to be carried at once. If any of us went with you alone, it would still be too far."

"_I _can_ make it there. Do you trust me?"_

"Of course," I answered softly.

"_Then allow me to fly you there. I am strong enough."_ Zian lowered her head so she could look me in the eye. _"Now isn't the time we are to doubt each other."_

"Yeah. Sorry; I just don't want you to get hurt."

"_I will live through some aches and pains. You, on the other hand, won't live another week if we do not stop Ho-Oh. So hurry up and get on my back."_ I cracked a grin and Zian swatted me lightly with her tail. _"Good to know that you still have your sense of humor,"_ she dryly commented with a roll of her eyes.

I settled myself in between Zian's shoulder blades, in a natural hollow formed by every Charizard's skeleton. Well, according to Zian. Ascalon sat in front of me, and Volpe in front of Ascalon, after transforming into a Gastly. Volpe had to concentrate on maintaining this form, as the ghost would begin to disperse if unchecked.

"_Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed,"_ Zian joked. _"We have liftoff!"_

Zian flapped her wings and jumped off from the ground, gaining altitude. Another flap and we gained about ten, maybe thirteen feet. Zian used the trees to her advantage, landing on the branches and kick off into the air. I saw Ascalon grip Zian's shoulders, afraid to fall off. Volpe groaned quietly, almost too low for me to hear. I grinned, feeling exhilarated as the air rushed by in fits and starts.

Zian barked out a laugh, accidentally letting loose a fireball that hit a tree, scorching its bark. Luckily the tree didn't really catch on fire and was only burnt. Zian paused on a thinner branch, creaking under her weight. She shuffled her wings, like she wanted to say something, but seemed to think better of it and continued her ascent.

**June 19****th****, 2000 hours**

"This place is a greater disappointment than I thought it would be," Volpe complained. There was a sharp smacking noise and the fox yelled "Hey!"

I ignored the bickering Pokémon and instead scanned the land. Zian was overhead, looking for Ho-Oh. Zekrom told us that Ho-Oh's weakness was somewhere inside Mount Saint Helens, inside the crater. But I didn't see anything of the sort. Then again, I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for. It could have been anything at all.

The fighting behind me stopped for a moment and I looked back to make sure that Ascalon and Volpe weren't tearing each other apart. Instead, Volpe was flat on her face and Ascalon was trying to help her up. Wonderful. Volpe sat up and spat out dirt, her face a mixture of disgust and confusion. She twisted around to look behind her, looking for the culprit. Zian landed down beside me, kicking up dirt and dust with her wings.

"_Nothing. There were no Pokémon in the vicinity, no humans, and nothing that gave off a sense of power. It may be disguised to look like an ordinary object, such as a rock or a tree."_

"What if it already is a rock?" I asked. Zian said nothing, so I continued. "Dialga, Palkia and Giritina all have items that increase their powers: the Adamant Orb, the Lustrous Orb, and the Griseous Orb, respectively. So what if Ho-Oh has something similar?"

"_He does, but it is no sphere of any kind. Ho-Oh uses Sacred Ash."_

"How do you know this? And isn't that a healing item?" Zian shrugged before continuing.

"_I do not know how I know; I just do. And yes, it is a healing item, and is very rare as only Ho-Oh can create it. If the Sacred Ash is taken away from Ho-Oh, then it can be used to temporarily take the phoenix bird's power. At least, until he creates more."_

"Do you know how Ho-Oh creates more Sacred Ash?"

"_From the remains of the Tin Tower, or by using his fire to burn away the impurities of whatever it touches."_

"Tin Tower? That doesn't actually exist, you know."  
_"Of course it does. You humans usually call it the 'Twin Towers'."_ I shuddered at the connection, and Zian wrapped a wing around me. _"Do not be afraid. Things have not always been as they are now."_

Volpe, who Zian and I had been ignoring until now, skipped up to us and held out a small pouch. I took it and examined it. It was a metallic yellow drawstring pouch, both strings dangling down toward the ground. I loosened the opening and saw a silvery substance inside. I didn't need to see any more; this was the Sacred Ash.

"So, what is it?" Volpe asked.

"_The Sacred Ash," _Zian answered. _"It's what we've been looking for. How did you find it?"_

"I tripped on a rock," Volpe sniffed. "What's for dinner?"

**June 19****th****, 2200 hours**

"You know, it's about," I snuck a peek at my watch, "ten o' clock at night. Don't you think we should be, you know, either sleeping or moving?"

"Nah," Volpe answered. "We need to get our strength up for tomorrow. Ad we do that by eating!" She took her makeshift shish kabob off the fire and bit into the roasted apple. "So, what do humans do for fun?" The question took me by surprise. "I've seen you guys walking around, doing a lot of things, but not too many humans seemed amused or happy in any way. Are all of you serious for your entire lives?"

"No. Well, I don't know. Not all people are the same."

"So, what do _you_ do for fun?"

"Personally, I like to read." Volpe rolled her eyes.

"But that's so _boring_," she complained. "You don't do any training?"

"Well, yeah, sometimes I would go to the gym and work out, if I wasn't on duty," I amended. Volpe rolled her eyes again and transformed into her Zorua self. She then proceeded to attack her food with a vengeance, tearing into it like it had offended her.

"Zian, how do you know so much about Pokémon? I mean, you needed me to explain the different types to you before. Now, you know things that I had never even heard of," I said with a laugh. "What happened between then and now?" Zian chewed on her apple thoughtfully before spitting out a seed.

"_When Zekrom evolved me," _she began slowly, _"he taught me things. A Pokémon naturally knows some things through evolution; like the types thing, but I would have learned that when I became a Charizard. Zekrom taught me some of the tales that are passed down by mouth rather than memory, such as where the towers were."_

"And Zekrom did this… through a thunderbolt."

"_Yes."_

"My world has just gotten weirder," I groaned.

Volpe laughed at me in between bites of her food.

**June 20****th****, 0542 hours**

I shook Zian awake and she toothily yawned, her teeth glinting in the pre-dawn light. She shook her head and sneezed no the ground.

_"Excuse me,"_ she apologized.

I looked around for the Zorua and Lucario and found them both sleeping against a tree. I shook both of them awake as Zian regained her bearings. Volpe mumbled something along the lines of 'Five more minutes' as Ascalon stretched and yawned. A quick look around showed that we were still alone.

"Zian, where is Ho-Oh now?" The giant lizard gave me a wild look.

_"I don't know something like that," she said. "Zekrom didn't give me that sort of ability." _My shoulders slumped. We only had one more day to stop Ho-Oh, and we didn't even know where he was. _"But since we have the Sacred Ash, he will probably come here to take it back."_

"Then we'll have to be ready to beat him." Zian nodded and looked over my shoulder. "What?" I asked, turning around to see what she was looking at.

There was a rainbow. At first glance, a rainbow seems rather girly, and not at all a threat. But when you see a rainbow with a giant fire-breathing bird on the end and it wants to rip you apart and maybe feast on your flesh, well, then a rainbow becomes rather threatening. And unfortunately for us, there was a giant fire-breathing bird on the end of the rainbow, and it was headed straight at us. Why can't there ever be a nice pot of gold at the end?

As though she had read my mind, Zian told me _"Because lightning would strike and kill us, that's why."_

"That doesn't make me feel any better," I said.

_"It wasn't supposed to."_

Our banter ended with Ho-Oh hovering before us, each beat of his wings sending down giant plumes of air. The first strike tore most of the leaves off the trees, the second launching the smaller rocks and trees out of the ground and into the air. After showing off, the phoenix landed in front of us, rainbow wings still spread. He looked at me, a disdainful glint in his eye. There was no noise, but I could understand him immediately: _Give me what's mine or be obliterated._

"And why would I do that?" I taunted, holding up the Sacred Ashes. I could tell Zian wanted o smack me in the head, but I plowed on anyway. "Ready, Zian?" I got a smack in the head anyway.

_"Yeah. As ready as I'll ever be."_

Zian rose into the air and yelled at Ho-Oh. The Legendary lifted its head to stare her down, but Zian used Dragon Rage. A blue and black fiery dragon exploded from her mouth and snaked over to Ho-Oh, hitting him with all the force of an out-of-control semi. His head snapped back with a loud crack and seemed to freeze in place. In all honesty, it looked like it was broken. Zian, who was hovering in the air now, exchanged an uncomfortable look with me. _'They don't show _that_ on the TV,'_ I thought.

Ho-Oh's neck cracked like a gunshot as the bones moved back into place. The bird's neck moved stiffly, creaking slightly like rusty hinges. There was a pop as the final bone shifted into place, and Ho-Oh whirled his neck, checking for full motion. I heard Zian make a gagging noise before shooting off another Dragon Rage.

The bird dodged the dragon this time and began to glow with a golden light. I felt Ascalon run past me, and Volpe jumped up onto my shoulder, content to watch rather than fight. Ho-Oh stood erect as Ascalon threw an Aura Sphere at him, not bothering to dodge. Just when it seemed the energy was going to hit him, Ho-Oh used Sacred Fire; it was a golden stream of fire that burned everything it touched, even the air itself. The Aura Sphere was engulfed in seconds, and the fire continued downwards. I pulled Ascalon out of the line of fire, ignoring the scratches from his palm spike.

Ho-Oh seemed enraged that his signature move had missed, but wasn't up to using it again. Instead, Ho-Oh began to glow with a harsher light, but one that wasn't so golden. The light coalesced in the air above us before shooting up into the sky and brightening the light. I took a guess that Ho-Oh used Sunny Day, to power up its Fire type moves. Of course, that would also power up Zian's moves. I held a hand to shield my eyes from the bright light. Zian had her head down in an attempt to keep from blinding herself. Ascalon had copied me; Volpe was using me head as a shield.

"Zian!" I yelled. She looked over at me, and I saw Ho-Oh prepping for a Fire Blast. "Use Fire Blast!" I pointed at the ground below Ho-Oh, and she seemed to understand. Fire licked her jaws as she built up the flames. "Ascalon, can you use Metal Sound on Ho-Oh?"

I earned an 'Are you crazy?' look from the jackal, but he raised his paws. Volpe covered her ears and I followed suit, gaze flicking between Zian, Ascalon and Ho-Oh. Ascalon's paw spike glowed white and bluish waves swept out like an earthquake. I could still hear the screeching noise of the attack, which didn't seem to affect Ascalon or Zian. Ascalon because he was using the attack, Zian likely because she was too far away. Ho-Oh was still affected, as he let out a near-shriek and started whipping his head back and forth in pain. The Fire Blast died out in his beak, but Zian's did not.

The fire left her maw and headed for the Legendary, rearranging itself into a character that I always thought looked like a person. The flames blew Ho-Oh backwards, heels over head. If Ho-Oh has heels, for that matter. The bird landed on its back and struggled to get up. Zian landed on his chest and bared her teeth. Ascalon charged another Aura Sphere and held it by the tips of his paws, letting Ho-Oh know that, by one mistake or a slip of his paws, there would be a lot of pain in the bird's near future.

I decided to take a slightly more pragmatic approach. I walked over to the bird's head and knelt down. Ho-Oh rolled his eyes around so he could see me, obviously keeping tabs on Ascalon and Zian. Volpe leaned forward to get a better look at the Legendary.

"Ho-Oh, I understand that you're upset with humanity. Now that I think about it, I sort of am too." I shook my head. "All we've really done is kill each other. But maybe we can change that. And I don't mean by fighting with Pokémon either. I mean, maybe we can _really_ change this. Killing all the humans wouldn't make you better than any other murderer."

The bird rose unsteadily on his feet, pained from the attacks. Zian clung to his neck like some sort of marsupial, fright glinting in her eyes as she fought to hold on. I saw his eyes flick over something behind me, and he spread his great wings, knocking me aside and behind. There was a sound like a pillow sack being ripped open, and Ho-Oh belched a plume of fire. The smell of burnt and roasted flesh pervaded the air, and I gagged on it.

Ho-Oh fell over onto his chest, plumage spilling out from his body. The majestic wings were crumpled, creating a box-like shape from the ground, leaving the phoenix in a very ungraceful position. Ascalon approached the Legendary and placed a hand on his side.

"He's hurt," the Lucario told me. "Someone was trying to kill you, likely to stop you. Ho-Oh took the attack for you; it came too close to his heart."

With a final sigh, the phoenix's feathers became a dull gray and wilted, some falling off. I stepped back in alarm, and Zian moved closer to inspect the Legendary's face.

_"He's dying,"_ she stated.

As unhelpful as the comment was, it was somewhat grounding. I looked to Ascalon, who shook his head in dismay. Ho-Oh's body further deteriorated, feathers molting and flesh decaying without a smell; the entire process occurred quickly, like watching a movie on how the body rots on fast-forward. Soon, a large Ho-Oh skeleton was left behind, and in seconds, the bones yellowed and broke apart from age and fragility. Zian fell to the ground as the brittle bones broke under her weight.

_"He's gone," _Zian cried.

**June 21****st****, 1200 hours**

I didn't own any fancy clothes, nor did I have the time to rent anything out, so I went to the funeral dressed in a black T-shirt and black dress pants. Ascalon, who sat to my left, wore a black tuxedo. However he found a tux that fit him, I didn't know, or plan on learning. Volpe sat two seats to my left, decked out in a black dress and veil. Why she wore the veil, I wasn't sure. It's not like she was widowed or anything. To my right, in the middle of the aisle as there wasn't room anywhere else, was Zian. She was wearing a black scarf around the base of her neck, an article of clothing she had grown very attached to.

She was earning odd stares from almost everyone but did a wonderful job of ignoring them. Or she just hadn't noticed. Either way, the people were not receiving any attention in return. The funeral was being held outside to accommodate the Pokémon, most of whom, like Zian, had grown too large to come inside most buildings.

The funeral in question was Frank's. While I had been searching for the Sacred Ash with my Pokémon, Frank had been defending a small town that, in the chaos following the appearance of Pokémon, had been ransacked by bandits. Sounds a little cheesy, like a B-rated movie, I know. But Origano, who had been a Grotle at the time, was very dedicated to his trainer, and served with him until the end.

Someone had gotten a few potshots off during another raid, and two of them had hit Frank. One in the heart and one in the head. Origano freaked out when he saw the blood, evolved into Torterra, and used Earthquake. All of the bandits had been injured, though none died (except one, who died in a hospital due to a pierced lung.) It was too late and Frank died, and Origano was still mourning for his friend. When we heard the news, Zian had scooped me up and refused to let me go for an hour. I understood why she was holding me so close, but she made me slightly late. I still wasn't angry with her.

Origano was by the coffin which held Frank now. I could see him shaking slightly, a leaf falling off the tree growing out of his back every few moments. I frowned and was going to ask Zian why that was so, but the funeral procession began, so I sat back in my seat and waited instead.

**June 21****st****, 1500 hours**

Zekrom grumbled in front of us; he had requested a meeting with Zian and me. Alone. So Zian flew the up here, and now I was afraid that I was going to be blasted into less-than-ashes by one of his thunderbolts. Zian seemed more relaxed than I felt, so I tried to keep my voice steady and movements smooth. Zekrom had first asked what happened, so we told him, and now he was either grumbling obscenities to himself or crossing out options in his head. I'm not quite sure I would've liked either.

"So Ho-Oh has died?" He asked, sounding weary. Zian and I both nodded like bobble heads. Huh, so maybe she was nervous. "Then that creates a few… complications," Zekrom sighed. He waved a claw at us, and said "You two can go. All we ask for are the Sacred Ashes. Just leave them where you stand."

I pulled the golden pouch out of my pocket and looked down at it. I had been carrying it around since Ho-Oh had died, not entirely sure what to do with them. I gently lowered the pouch to the floor, holding it by the strings. I let go and stood erect. Zekrom looked at me expectantly, so I climbed into the hollow on Zian's back and she flew earthwards. Everything seemed… anticlimactic, I suppose, but it was better than being eaten or blasted into nothing. Not that I would expect Zekrom to eat me, but I couldn't rule it out.

**June 21****st****, 1600 hours**

"What are you two going to do now?" I asked. Ascalon answered immediately.

"Stay with you. I feel that is the right thing to do." The answer didn't surprise me in the least. It felt right, somehow. Volpe looked more thoughtful before she answered.

"Even though everything is over, I don't really want to leave either. Though I might sneak out every once in a while to cause some well deserved havoc," she ended with a mischievous smirk.

"And you, Zian?" I already knew what her answer was going to be, but I wanted to hear it all the same."

"_You know what the answer is. I will stay with you to the end of days, and even after."_ Zian looked down at my plate and asked _"Are you going to eat that?"_ I looked down at my burger and shrugged. Zian snaked her head down and snapped the patty off of my plate. _"Delicious."_

**Unknown time, Hall of the Legendaries**

Arceus looked down at his creations. Most were angry at him for not coming when he called, but he had been fixing the time stream. There was an odd anomaly that had called for his attention and he couldn't spare any time to come when requested. Taking a closer look at the Legendaries present, Arceus couldn't help but notice that there was a Pokémon missing.

"Where is Ho-Oh?" He asked the assembled Pokémon. Zekrom, ever prepared, answered the question.

"He has died while you were gone," the dragon answered calmly. Sensing that the god-like Pokémon was going to ask for an explanation, Zekrom continued with "He tried to kill the humans, and grew tired of the fighting. He perished from his own depression." Arceus sighed, quietly muttering about idiots.

"Do you have his Sacred Ashes?" Zekrom held up the pouch, miniscule in his great claws.

"It has been returned."

"By whom?" Now Zekrom seemed reluctant to answer. Arceus looked around, and all of his creations shrunk away from his scrutinizing gaze. "Who returned Ho-Oh's Sacred Ashes?"

"A human returned the Ashes," Lugia stated. Arceus turned his gaze onto the deep sea dweller. "I did not see them, but they returned Ho-Oh's Ashes to Zekrom."

Zekrom quailed under Arceus' accusing stare.

"That is fine. We will have to return Ho-Oh to life."

This was the cue that the Legendaries were waiting for. They huddled together, nervous and anxious and excited all at once. Arceus began to glow with a light white, as did the Sacred Ashes. The light became blinding, and the Legendaries looked away, lest they go blind.

End

**8765.81 hours remaining**


End file.
